Essay on Wind Energy

Submitted By zaisehay
Words: 1466
Pages: 6

Wind Energy: A Cheaper Cleaner Energy
Wind energy was founded in the late 1800’s and has made significant advances in the 20th century. Now in the 21st century the increasing cost of fossil fuels has revived interest in alternative energy. Although fossil fuels are the most prevalent source of electrical energy, wind power is a cleaner and cheaper source of electrical energy. The first power producing windmill was built in 1888, and “within a decade, wind powered electricity had spread throughout Europe” (Brenda W. Lerner). At the turn of the century industrial farming required more electricity than windmills could produce. This resulted in a sharp decline in windmills and an increase in fossil fuel produced electricity. Shortly after “World War II… Denmark and Germany began development of large three bladed turbines to produce electricity” (Lerner). This design was sleeker, produced more power, and is still used today. Wind energy faded again “in the 1960’s due to an abundance of inexpensive fossil fuel…, but subsequently it has regained popularity due to fluctuations in fossil fuel availability and price” (Lerner). During this time scientists discovered the effects of CO2 and its impact on the environment and the world had a new reason to look into alternative fuel sources. In August 2006 “a major milestone was reached when the amount of generation is enough to provide the average energy needs for about 1.6 million households” (Ron Rebenitsch) Wind power is continually growing in popularity. Moreover the more expensive fossil fuels become, the more people will see the good in alternatives such as wind energy. Fossil fuels are becoming sparse and expensive unlike the energy created form wind power. Due to the “High price of gas… the wind energy industry is seeing record growth in the United States (U.S.)” (Rebenitsch). Time and time again fossil fuels have shortages that cause their prices to skyrocket and almost every time people turn to alternative resources to fill the energy gap that they have failed to fill. Plus “the generation of wind energy means reducing the consumption of natural gas. Just as we all select less expensive products when shopping, the electrical industry is eager to reduce its use of expensive natural gas when the wind is blowing”(Rebenitsch). Even the electrical approves wind energy if it saves them money. Debra Miller predicts that “if prices rise too high, or if supply cannot keep up with this demand, the world could see more intense competition for oil and... possibly even military confrontations” The people of the world need to look into self sustaining fuel sources to ensure global security. Ron Rebenitsch states it very well when he says “The wind – as a fuel – is free”. Searching for oil is dangerous and expensive, and it may cause nations to go to war. Wind power is better for the environment than fossil fuels. One of the largest reasons is that “wind power is a renewable source of energy that does not generate carbon dioxide. In contrast the generation of electricity by the burning of coal is nonrenewable and emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere” (Lerner). Wind can create the same energy as fossil fuels and leave no harmful emissions unto the earth. In this day and age “any technology that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions are potentially beneficial” (Lerner). CO2 Emissions are a desperate issue and need to be dealt with before it is too late. The world is recognizing “that it will be necessary to discover and shift to alternative, environmentally friendly energy sources in the future” (Miller). Countries are looking for alternatives to foreign oil to help strengthen their economy. The world is one of the most important things in our lives. We need to do our best to keep it clean. Although wind energy is cheaper and cleaner than fossil fuels, windmills stand out and stick out like a sore thumb, the fan blades could hit passing birds and wind farms take up a lot of land. While